BHUBANESWAR: Former India hockey captain Prabodh Tirkey formally joined the Congress on Monday in the presence of Odisha in-charge A Chellakumar, president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Commitee (OPCC) Sarat Pattanayak and other senior leaders of the party.
Tirkey told mediapersons he joined Congress as he was inspired by the impressive work of its former president Rahul Gandhi and ideology of the party. Stating tribals have been neglected and not getting any benefit from the schemes launched by the state government, Tirkey said he wishes to contest from Talsara Assembly constituency to serve them.
Tirkey, a native of Lulkidihi village under Balishankra block in Sundargarh district has been associated with the Congress for some months now by raising issues of public importance in Talsara constituency. He made his debut in the Junior Asia Cup in 2000 and was the national captain of sub-junior, junior and India-A teams and finally went on to become the India senior team captain. He was in the Indian team, which won the 2007 Asia Cup in Chennai. Tirkey was conferred Ekalavya Puraskar in 2001 and Biju Patnaik State Sports Award in 2009.
Senior Congress leaders, including Chellakumar and Pattanayak hoped Tirkey’s entry into the party will strengthen the organisation in the state ahead of the upcoming elections. Several other leaders belonging to rival political parties including former Bhubaneswar district organisational secretary of BJD Prashanta Champati also joined Congress. Champati had been expelled from BJD for anti-party activities.
The OPCC president announced Congress will launch ‘Ghare Ghare Congress’ campaign in Odisha on September 25 ahead of the general and state’s Assembly elections. The campaign will continue for 21 days till October 15.